I’m taking a quick time-out on our normal holiday schedule to address a concern that this country is not getting with the Christmas Spirit. Yes, I’m looking at you Ferguson, New York, Los Angeles and Denver. For all the rioting concerning Michael Brown and Eric Garner there is one point that bears understanding: Neither of these two individuals would be dead today if they hadn’t broken the law. It doesn’t matter what color any of the participants in these dramas are, plain and simple, these two men made some seriously bad decisions and it got them killed.

Some may argue that Brown and Garner were victims of prejudice and police brutality. I object to this view as it assumes facts not in evidence. If either of these men were killed by officers while living law-abiding lives I’d say there may be a case to be made. The fact of the matter is these two men were criminals who resisted arrest and got more than they bargained for or deserved.

These incidents have been so poorly covered by the mass media that instead of people learning the lesson (don’t break the law) hundreds and possibly thousands have decided that the appropriate response is just the opposite -- to go out and break the law. In Denver a policeman is still hospitalized in critical condition after sustaining injuries from being struck by a car while escorting students protesting the grand jury verdict in the Michael Brown hearing. The driver’s motive is unclear. Also not known is who or why someone torched an outhouse in a public park not more than a hundred paces from my home Sunday morning. While not life threatening, one of the firemen on the scene said it “could have been a lot worse”.

Okay, maybe that last example pales in comparison to the others, but my point is this: It’s the Christmas season, people should be full of good cheer and interested in being kind to others. It’s a time of year where we take the focus off of ourselves and think about the blessing of the Christ-child and consider how we may bless others. If ever there was a season of forgiveness it is now.

One last observation and then we will return to our regularly scheduled holiday focus. Throughout history no riot has ever resulted in positive change. In every case the prevailing power quells the riot, often with an abundance of violence. More has been accomplished through healthy debate and exchange of ideas than from a protest, and far more has been accomplished through prayer than any riot. Michael Brown and Eric Gardner are not victims, they are criminals. The police are not overlords looking for an excuse to murder, they are enforcing just law. They all are deserving of our prayers not just at Christmas but all the year through.

One of my favorite passages in all of Scripture is when Jesus tells Peter, “I have prayed for you” (Luke 22.32). While you celebrate Christmas, and perhaps participate in Advent, take time to pray for the community in which you live. Pray against criminal behavior and for wisdom on the part of the people and police alike. Protest against protestors to the one person who can actually make a difference in the world, the one we celebrate, Jesus Christ.